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Research Assistant Professor Liu Zengping

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, NUS
Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR
Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Singapore Eye Research Institute

MBBS, MD

  Email    Google Scholar    Linkedin    Website 1    Website 2    Website 3 

Research Interests and Achievements

Dr. Liu Zengping’s research journey covers stem cell biology, tissue engineering (scaffold development), surgical animal models, and clinical research. He uses his multidisciplinary education background to bridge the surgical gap between basic science and clinical application for biomaterials and cell therapeutics to rescue vision.


Dr. Liu’s research focusses on developing novel hydrogels as vitreous substitute and are working towards using hydrogel to enhance stem cell derived retinal cell therapy for treatment of retinal degeneration disease. He takes the lead to set up large animal vitrectomy surgery platform. In addition, he has developed immunosuppression protocol and several retinal disease models in large animal for cell transplantation studies.


Selected Publications

  • Liu Z, Liow SS, Lai SL, Alli-Shaik A, Holder GE, Parikh BH, Krishnakumar S, Li Z, Tan MJ, Gunaratne J, Barathi VA, Hunziker W, Lakshminarayanan R, Tan CWT, Chee C, Zhao P, Lingam G, Loh XJ, Su X. Dual-function thermogelling polymers as effective endotamponade for retinal detachment repair and reassembly of vitreous-like body in-situ. Nat Biomed Eng. 2019 Aug;3(8):598-610. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-019-0382-7
  • Parikh BH*, Liu Z*, Blakeley P, Lin Q, Singh M, Ong JY, Ho KH, Lai JW, Bogireddi H, Tran KC, Lim JYC, Xue K, Al-Mubaarak A, Yang B, R S, Regha K, Wong DSL, Tan QSW, Zhang Z, Jeyasekharan AD, Barathi VA, Yu W, Cheong KH, Blenkinsop TA, Hunziker W, Lingam G, Loh XJ, Su X. A bio-functional polymer that prevents retinal scarring through modulation of NRF2 signalling pathway. Nat Commun.. 2022 May 19;13(1):2796. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30474-6 *Co-first author
  • Lin Q*, Liu Z*, Wong DSL, Lim CC, Liu CK, Guo L, Zhao X, Boo YJ, Wong JHM, Tan RPT, Xue K, Lim JYC, Su X, Loh XJ. High molecular weight hyper-branched PCL-based thermogelling vitreous endotamponades. Biomaterials. 2022 Jan;280:121262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121262 *Co-first author
  • Zhang K*, Liu Z*, Lin Q, Boo YJ, Ow V, Zhao X, Wong DSL, Lim JYC, Xue K, Su X, Wu D, Loh XJ. Injectable PTHF-based thermogelling polyurethane implants for long-term intraocular application. Biomater Res. 2022 Dec 2;26(1):70. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40824-022-00316-z *Co-first author
  • Zhao X, Seah I, Xue K, Wong W, Tan QSW, Ma X, Lin Q, Lim JYC, Liu Z, Parikh BH, Mehta KN, Lai JW, Yang B, Tran KC, Barathi VA, Cheong KH, Hunziker W, Su X, Loh XJ. Antiangiogenic Nanomicelles for the Topical Delivery of Aflibercept to Treat Retinal Neovascular Disease. Adv Mater. 2022 Jun;34(25):e2108360. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202108360
  • Liu Z, Parikh BH, Tan QSW, Wong DSL, Ong KH, Yu W, Seah I, Holder GE, Hunziker W, Tan GSW, Barathi VA, Lingam G, Stanzel BV, Blenkinsop TA, Su X. Surgical Transplantation of Human RPE Stem Cell-Derived RPE Monolayers into Non- Human Primates with Immunosuppression. Stem Cell Reports. 2021 Feb 9;16(2):237-251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.12.007
  • Liu Z, Ilmarinen T, Tan GSW, Hongisto H, Wong EYM, Tsai ASH, Al-Nawaiseh S, Holder GE, Su X, Barathi VA, Skottman H, Stanzel BV. Submacular integration of hESC-RPE monolayer xenografts in a surgical non-human primate model. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2021 Jul 27;12(1):423. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-021-02395-6
  • Lingam S, Liu Z*, Yang B, Wong W, Parikh BH, Ong JY, Goh D, Wong DSL, Tan QSW, Tan GSW, Holder GE, Regha K, Barathi VA, Hunziker W, Lingam G, Zeng X, Su X. cGMP-grade human iPSC-derived retinal photoreceptor precursor cells rescue cone photoreceptor damage in non-human primates. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2021 Aug 19;12(1):464. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-021-02539-8 *Co-first author
  • Xue K , Liu Z* , Jiang L , Kai D , Li Z , Su X , Loh XJ . A new highly transparent injectable PHA-based thermogelling vitreous substitute. Biomater Sci. 2020 Feb 4;8(3):926-936. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9bm01603a *Co-first author
  • Liu Z, Yu N, Holz FG, Yang F, Stanzel BV. Enhancement of retinal pigment epithelial culture characteristics and subretinal space tolerance of scaffolds with 200 nm fiber topography. Biomaterials.. 2014 Mar;35(9):2837-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.12.069